HCM CITY – The HCM City administration has instructed relevant departments to take targeted measures to help local retailers strengthen their competitiveness and retain market share before they lose out to foreign rivals.

Speaking at a meeting to review the city’s socio-economic performance in the first five months and plan for June, People’s Committee Chairman Nguyễn Thành Phong ordered the Department of Industry and Trade to complete zoning plans for commerce-services development, develop the city’s brand name and identify its key products.

Leading South Korean retailers in Việt Nam regard the country as a promising growth market and will source products from small and medium-sized enterprises in Korea, according to Phong.

Japan’s Aeon is working towards making Việt Nam its second biggest retail market in Asia after Malaysia.

Foreigners now make up 51 per cent of the HCM City retail market, and “If we do not have a suitable development strategy for the retail market, it will be dominated by foreign investors in future,” he warned.

This would adversely affect domestic production, he added.

Many delegates urged the city to soon adopt measures to support local retailers and producers.

Phong said he would hold a meeting on how to develop the retail market in a sustainable manner.

He urged departments, agencies and districts to continue with measures to achieve the city’s socio-economic targets.

"The city needs to focus on promoting production and trading, resolve difficulties faced by businesses and improve the investment environment to attract more investment from domestic and foreign investors," he said.

Strengthening trade promotion activities to boost export and soliciting investment in targeted sectors would be among the tasks the city would focus on, he said.

Good growth

According to a report tabled by the People’s Committee at the meeting, the city economy achieved robust growth in the first five months, with the retail and service sectors and exports reporting a higher turnover than in the same period last year.

Retail and services revenues are estimated at VNĐ288.55 trillion (US$12.93 billion), a year-on-year increase of 11.2 per cent.